Promoting gender equality across the sustainable development goals

Gender issues, and gender equality in particular, can be regarded as cross-cutting issues in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), even though it is unclear how they are taken into account. This study addresses this information gap by performing an assessment of the emphasis on gender issues across all the other 16 SDGs, in addition to SDG5, through a literature review and case study analysis, the basis for the newly developed framework, highlighting specific actions associated to each SDG. The 13 countries addressed in the 16 case studies include China, India, or Australia and illustrate the inclusion of SDG5 into the SDGs. Using an SDG matrix, the SDG targets are analysed. Those where an emphasis on gender equality is important in allowing them to be achieved are listed. The novelty of our approach resides in offering an in-depth analysis of how gender issues interact with the other SDGs, proposing a new analysis framework clearly identifying SDGs 1, 4, 11, 12, 14 and 16 demanding further attention for successful SD gender implementation and illustrating specific areas where further actions may be necessary, which may be used by policy-makers, raising further awareness on gender equality contribution to achieve the SDGs. A set of recommendations aimed at placing gender matters more centrally in the SDGs delivery are presented as a final contribution. These focus on the need for greater awareness and attention to good practices, to achieve successful implementation initiatives. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10668-022-02656-1.


$1.25 a day
Women and the most vulnerable in society are for the most part more impacted by poverty. As such, ensuring the eradication of extreme poverty will benefit more women and help end and/or reduce poverty. Extreme poverty and its impact on women is exacerbated by discriminatory social norms that alienate women when it comes to equal opportunities in education as well as employment and as such leads to those affected living on less than $1.25 a day in mostly the developing world. Olinto et al., 2013Lang & Lingnau, 2015Franco & Minnery, 2020 Target 1. 2 By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions Strong and robust policies can play a role in reducing poverty. For example, as poverty takes many forms including that of energy, a consideration of place of residence, house ownership status, family size, and the age of the primary breadwinner can mitigate against multidimensional energy poverty and play a significant role in national definitions of poverty. Such considerations could have an impact on poverty reduction in at least half of the proportion of men, women and children in the most deprived areas of society.
Abbas et al., 2020 2 Target 1.3 Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable Social security is an important human right which is central to the reduction of poverty, achieving equality and avoiding social exclusion. These aspects allow for the promotion of equal opportunities including gender equality, which if properly implemented can assist with the development of appropriate social security systems and measures that could have a positive impact for both men and women.
International Labour Organisation, 2012 Kaltenborn, 2017 Target 1.4 By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance Land and resource tenure, including inheritance, access to and use of technology, financial services, and access to microfinance are important for meeting SDG targets such as the one in question. For example, when it comes to land ownership, because of unequal rights to land, there ought to be explicit protection of land rights that are recognised by both customary and statutory law for women, which can allow them to fairly participate in land ownership, management and administration.
Furthermore, microfinance gives women the opportunity to empower themselves and improve their lives. This has the ability to remove them from poverty.
It is well understood that due to gender inequalities, women and the more vulnerable in society will be more affected by hunger. Due to evident societal gender inequalities resulting from social, political and economic marginalisation of women, such inequalities have an impact on food security and resulting hunger, not only for women but for infants as well. With hunger come issues around health and the inability, as well as a lack of capability, to be able to effectively contribute to sustainable development in society Giving equal opportunity and easy accessibility to formal and quality education to females will impact by generating responsible attitudes towards health Queen Mary University of London, 2018 Target 3.8 Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
Inclusion of women in economic and decision-making activity will increase the ability to access existing maternal and child health services Singh et al., 2015 SDG 4 -Ensure access to inclusive and equitable quality education for boys and girls, from pre-primary through to secondary education, and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities …access to financial services.
SDG 8 promotes "sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all". Businesses play a key role for job creation and economic growth. Instituting nondiscriminatory practices and embracing diversity and inclusion will also lead to greater access to skilled, productive talent. decent work for all'. Businesses play a key role for job creation and economic growth. Instituting nondiscriminatory practices and embracing diversity and inclusion will also lead to greater access to skilled, productive talent.

Target 8.8 Protect labour rights…and those in precarious employment
The main objective is to achieve an inclusive employment.
Protection of labour rights by enhancing health and safety at work.
Key themes: economic inclusion; non-discrimination

SDG 9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Target 9.2. Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry's share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries.
Increasing investments in infrastructure has positively affected gender equality by reducing unpaid care and domestic work.
Better infrastructure can improve health and education for women and children.
Women's access to education and employment contributes to industrialisation.
Investing in social infrastructure could increase employment both in emerging countries and in developed economies.

Sinha et al., 2020
Reducing gender gap and subject segregation in education (by increasing gender diversity in STEM) can boost innovations. Target 11. 8 Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning

SDG 10 Reduce inequality within and among countries
Proportion of population living in cities that implement urban and regional development plans integrating population projections and resource needs, by size of city.
Grogan, 2020 Women are under-represented in decision-making related to sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources, so it is important to increase their participation in leadership and decision-making processes, for the sustainable management of production and consumption patterns Target 12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses Women have an important role in achieving this goal, however the recognition and actions to address this are rather limited still.

Target 12.4
By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment Women are under-represented in decision-making related to management of chemicals in the life cycle.

Target 12.5
By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse Women are known to be more in contact with packaging, and their role in reduction, recycling and reuse of plastic waste in specific should be considered crucial.

Target 12.6
Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle Women are under-represented in leadership of large and transnational companies due to difficulties found in work-life imbalance in many countries.

Target 12.8
By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature Women in general are more interested in increasing awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony in nature, and therefore their role in achieving this target is crucial.

6.
SDG 13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 20 By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans Women are under-represented in policy and management in the fishing industry, so it is important to increase their participation in leadership and decision-making processes for the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems Target 14.4 By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics Women are mostly affected by unsustainable fishing because the majority of them deal with fishing activities near shores, not having the resources for sophisticated equipment. Usually they possess only simple instruments for fishing.

Target 14.5
By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information Equal participation and co-management of resources is important in order for policies of conservation to be accepted by coastal female communities. Also, equal access to knowledge production and information related to coastal conservation. Women are under-represented in marine science, so it is important to provide budget and support and to create a safe environment for them, so that their participation in science and the knowledge exchange in the field of marine technology and ocean-related industries can be increased.

Target 14.b
Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets Promotion of female fishing leaders and protecting their rights is important to increase their access to small-scale fisheries and marine resources markets, because often they are underpaid or without contracts or health and safety insurance, even though, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 'women represent nearly half of the estimated 180 million people worldwide working in fisheries and aquaculture'.

Target 14.c
Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of The Future We Want Increased female representation in international advocacy can support the processes of ratification by countries of institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments, etc., for conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources.

SDG 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Target 15.1 By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and Gender differentiated responsibilities vary region to region, but in many communities around the world, Agu & Gore, 2020 24 sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements women act as primary caretakers and natural resource managersprocuring water and firewood, managing waste and providing health care, often through plantbased medicines. Women's roles also mean they hold vast knowledge on sources of water, storing and caring for seeds, and the diverse uses and benefits of plants, including for food, medicine, art, and avoiding and mitigating land degradation. This knowledge is crucial to preserving biodiversity, addressing climate change and supporting livelihoods.

Broeckhoven, 2014
Target 15.3 By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world The role of women in international law and policy is still low, especially in developing countries, and the decision-making about combating desertification and restoration of land and soil is limited.

Target 15.5
Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species Especially in developing countries, the role of women in the reduction of natural habitat destruction and biodiversity loss has been considered important. Women need to be equally and actively involved in processes to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity because they play critical roles as primary land managers and resource users, and they face disproportionate impacts both from biodiversity loss and gender-blind conservation measures.

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Target 15.8 Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products Efforts to overcome challenges to combatting wildlife trafficking will likely benefit from increased attention to, and mainstreaming of, the role of women in wildlife trafficking, especially in Africa. The role of women has been considered low in Asia. It is important that female organised networks or civil society organisations that deal with gender equality, women rights, etc. are part of the partnerships and coalitions for goals, in order to increase their representation in national and international processes